NAEA says solar panels make no difference to house values

1st August 2017

Installing solar panels on your home makes no difference to how much it’s worth, according to two thirds of estate agents.

Research for consumer group Which? by NAEA Propertymark, questioning 1,252 estate agent businesses, reveals that just eight per cent of estate agents say the panels increase values but 17 per cent suggest they decrease values. Some 67 per cent say they make no difference.

Solar panels are considered by many home owners as a long-term investment, costing £5,000 to £8,000 to install and expected to last 25 years.

NAEA managing director Mark Hayward says panels are unlikely to feature in any new valuation models for agents or mortgage providers. “They’re on very few people’s shopping lists at the moment. People don’t buy features, they buy benefits. So you need to articulate it in terms of savings” he says.